Home Sweet Home

Isn't nice to live in an area where you have access to quality healthcare? As the health system grows so does the number of in-system providers/services.
In Area Designation 
With a Clinical Integration Independent Practice Association (IPA for short) of over 9,000 + doctors/healthcare providers (up a few thousand since 2012) the health system is truly spreading its wings. In-system providers are now present on eastern Long Island. Coram, Port Jefferson, Selden and even Wading River are just a few of the newly designated "in area" residences for 2014. These areas were declared within the primary service area due to the amount of providers within a 2 to 10 mile radius of that zip code. In-system providers include primary care physicians, obstetrician/gynecologists, pediatricians, and specialists. Need a doctor? Now you can find a North Shore-LIJ In-System Provider within 10 miles of your home sweet home.

Out-of-Pocket Maximum for 2014

Did you do a double take on page 4 of the Benefits Guide? 
Third column down on both Value and Buy-Up Plans reads Annual Out-of-Pocket $6,350 for an Individual and $12,700 for a Family. Gee didn't that say "none" in 2013? Don't be alarmed by the number ... It's not that there were no out-of-pocket expenses for in-system copays in 2013 it's just that there was no requirement for specified maximums. Due to Healthcare Reform in 2014, maximum out-of-pocket expenses now must now be specified. $6,350  is the maximum out-of-pocket you can spend on your in-system copays for yourself and $12,700 is the maximum you can spend on your in-system copays for your family.

Who Figures This Stuff Out?
Rest assured these figures were derived by Actuaries, not the Benefits Team. Actuaries analyze the financial cost of risk and uncertainty. They use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to assess the risk that an event will occur and help businesses develop policies that minimize the cost of that risk.
There! Don't you feel better knowing that?

Wellness Pledge Advantage

Your health and wellness is an important piece of the North Shore-LIJ strategy to be a leader in preventive care for our communities and all employees. The newest Wellness Pledge for 2014, a video which was designed to engage you and your family in the health system's proactive thinking on health awareness, is a direct link to another Pledge, the Health Assessment Pledge. The creation of both Pledges stems from the true passion of our own wellness experts, Dr. Jennifer Mieres, SVP of Community and Public Health and Dr. Jacqueline Moline, VP of Population Health.

1. If you have not gotten the opportunity to watch the Wellness Video, visit HealthPort>Quick Links>iLearn. The health system's Learning Management System will guide you through the Wellness Module and Video. 
2. If you have not gotten the opportunity to fill out your Health Assessment, visit myuhc.com, register and login, click on Health Assessment on the far right side. The HA is housed in a secure portal through UnitedHealthcare and keeps your health information 100% confidential. 

Both Pledge actions will credit your 2014 paycheck $260 each, as long as you comply before December 2. Yes, that's right ... it pays to be healthy!

Better Late Than Never

It is a well known fact that a good percentage of employees do not chose to participate in Flexible Spending Accounts because they are afraid they may lose the pre-tax dollars they put aside come the end of the year. Well rest easy -  each year the health system gives its FSA participants a three month grace period for their healthcare account. This gives you the opportunity to spend what's leftover in 2013 rather than losing it in 2014.

Use It or Lose It Rule
For those organizations that do not offer such a generous grace period - the U.S. Treasury recently announced a modification to its "Use It or Lose It" ruling. This modification now allows participants to rollover $500 of unused dollars into 2014. Keep in mind, This rollover does not pertain to North Shore-LIJ Flex Spending participants due to the grace period already in place.

North Shore-LIJ Grace Period
The health system's generous 3 month grace period allows you to deplete your account in its entirety and does not limit you to only $500. This extension gives you the opportunity to purchase most eye-related products, orthopedic and surgical supports, blood pressure monitors, dentures and so much more.
So go ahead and be consumer savvy - put aside those pre-tax dollars during 2014's Open Enrollment, you've got nothing to lose!

Healthcare FSAs allow you to set aside a minimum of $150 and a maximum of $2,500 per year to pay for expenses not covered in your medical plan, such as co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs. This account will come to you in the form of a Debit card giving you convenient access to your funds.
Dependent Care FSAs allow you to set aside a minimum of $150 and maximum of $5,000 per year to pay for dependent care expenses for children under the age of 13, disabled adults or elder care.

Be Money Smart

Did you know the health system automatically contributes 3% of your eligible compensation for your 403(b) plan account beginning on the the one year anniversary of your date of hire? Be smart and contribute at least 6% of your annual salary, and you will receive an additional 2% from the health system.
Here's how it works. After one year of service with the health system eligible employees may receive:

• 3% of  pay-based credits to your Cash Balance account
• 3% contribution of your eligible earnings to your 403(b) account (Benefit Group 1A receives 6% contribution)
• 2% employer matching contribution to your 403(b) account (that's if you contribute at least 6%)

That comes to 8% in employer contributions for Benefit Groups 1, 2 and 3 - and 11% for Group 1A! So what are you waiting for? Contact MetLife now and get money smart.

Attention: Married Couples at North Shore-LIJ

Being that North Shore-LIJ is the largest employer in the region, it's no wonder there are a number of married couples in the health system. If  and your spouse both work within the health system and are also non-union and benefits-eligible you need to be aware of the new requirement for benefits enrollment in 2014.

New for 2014 Open Enrollment: The spouse who is categorized in the higher benefit group (Group 1A being the highest) will now be responsible for electing coverage for themselves, or for themselves and their dependents.

For example: Mary works as an administrative assistant in IT (putting her in Benefit Group 3) and her husband, Larry is a physician on staff at North Shore University Hospital (putting him in Benefit Group 1A). Mary has always been responsible for electing benefits for herself, her husband and their two children. With this change in the enrollment process, Larry will now be responsible for electing coverage due to his higher benefit group.
For consideration in this case: Mary can continue to claim herself and two children. Since she chooses the Value Plan and completes all four Wellness Pledges her cost for benefits will remain at $0. Larry can cover himself as single, under Benefit Group 1A.

Benefit Group 3 generally refers to staff-level employees
Benefit Group 2 generally refers to manager-level employees
Benefit Group 1 generally refers to directors and assistant vice presidents
Benefit Group 1A generally refers to executives (above the AVP level) and physicians
Benefit Group 1A is considered the highest level of the Groups 

North Shore-LIJ feels this change in enrollment is in alignment with the compensation or its employees.

Employers Evaluate Spousal Coverage

You may be wondering "why this new spousal charge of $1040 for 2014". After all you have been claiming your spouse as a dependent for years. The reason behind the surcharge is based on the health system's goal to align with the initiative of Healthcare Reform. Many other organizations are either implementing or have implemented a spousal surcharge. According to Towers Watson up to 60% of hospital employees will have a spousal surcharge by 2015.

In comparison, there are a few large companies that skipped the surcharge and simply excluded a spouse's coverage when they have access to a medical plan through their own employer, referred to as Spousal Exclusion. According to benefits consulting firm Mercer, 6 percent of companies now exclude spouses who can get healthcare through their own employers, up 3 percent since 2008. That number is likely to grow.

Keep in mind, North Shore-LIJ will continue to cover your spouse if he or she is not eligible for health insurance through their own employer. In 2014 no one's spouse will be forced to purchase their own coverage on the State Exchange.

Here are some examples.

Benefits Eligible Employee at North Shore-LIJ	Spouse’s Status	Surcharge Status
Mary is married to Rob.	Rob is currently unemployed.	No surcharge - If Rob finds employment in 2014 and chooses to stay on Mary’s plan no surcharge will be incurred due to the fact that his employment status will not be considered a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).
Alex is married to Susan.	Susan is on Medicare.	No surcharge – Alex can enroll Susan in the medical plan with no surcharge because she is on Medicare.
Joe is married to Robert.	Robert is eligible for a medical plan through his own employer, but chooses to stay on Joe’s plan because his employer’s plan is much more expensive than the North Shore-LIJ plan.	Surcharge - If Joe continues to claim Robert as a dependent on his North Shore-LIJ medical plan he will see a surcharge of $1,040 in 2014.
Carol is married to Steven.	Steven, who is self-employed, wants to continue on Carol’s plan at North Shore-LIJ and not seek insurance on the State Exchange.	No surcharge – Carol can continue to cover Steven. He will not have to seek health insurance on the State Exchange because an employer is not offering him a medical plan.
Bob is married to Alice.	Alice, who just needs dental coverage, is eligible for a medical plan through her own employer and plans to enroll.	No surcharge - If Bob is electing just the dental plan for Alice he will not see a surcharge in 2014, but he will have to adjust his elections on Employee Self Service.

Read recent article from Newsday, The New Insurance Landscape for Spouses.

DOMA Section 3: Struck Down

Background information: The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) enacted September 21, 1996, is a U.S. federal law that allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states.

Until Section 3 of the Act was ruled unconstitutional, DOMA had effectively barred same-sex married couples from being recognized as "spouses" for purposes of federal laws, or receiving federal marriage benefits. As of July 3, there is no longer any federal barriers to the recognition of same-sex couples married in states that recognize same-sex marriage. They are now entitled to receive the over 1,000 federal health, tax, Social Security and other benefits that a one man/one woman couple receives.

Example: Jane Smith is a benefits-eligible employee at North Shore-LIJ. Jane married her partner, Mary, in the state of New York in March of 2013. As a recognized marriage in New York, North Shore-LIJ was able to add Mary to Jane's policy as a Qualified Life Event.

Question: On July 3 the Supreme Court struck down DOMA, how does this affect Jane and Mary in the future, in regards to their benefits?

Answer: When the couple married in March, the state of New York recognized their marriage, but the federal government did not. As a result, Jane's pay statement showed an imputed income from the federal government. Since New York is one of the 13 states that recognizes same-sex marriage the couple did not have imputed income from New York. Now that Section 3 of DOMA has been struck down, Jane will no longer receive imputed income from the federal government and her medical contributions will be pre-tax for both federal and state purposes.

Note: North Shore-LIJ's payroll department is currently working to update the payroll system to reflect pre-tax contributions for all same-sex married participants. Impacted plan participants will be contacted directly with additional information.

If you are in a same-sex marriage and have additional questions about your benefits, call the HR Service Center at 516-734-7000.

Get Your Health Assessment Now

Open Enrollment for your 2014 Benefits Package is still a few months away but it's never too early to pledge to be well. One of the four Wellness Pledges for 2014 (which will credit your pay statement $260 for the year) is the Health Assessment Pledge. Similar to last year's Know Your Numbers/HRA Pledge you will need to fill in your health information on a secured site. Here's what you can do now to get a head start on wellness:

1. Register and login to UnitedHealthcare's myuhc.com and select the Health Assessment tab located on the far right side of the home page. 
2. Register and login using the same username and password as you did when registering on myuhc.com. 
3. Answer several security questions before you can get started. 
4. Take the Health Assessment by filling in the pre-populated fields.*
5. Hit Submit. If you have not completed the Assessment you will be notified that you have an additional 92 days to complete.

*To fill in your numbers for blood pressure, cholesterol, and Body Mass Index (BMI) you can contact your physician to see if it's time for a physical, and chart your updated biometrics in the myuhc.com portal.

Note: As long as you complete the Health Assessment and hit the submit button you will be credited for the Pledge in 2014.

Newly Hired?
If you were recently hired, you will not be able to access the Health Assessment until your benefits are active, which is the first day of the month following 32 days after your date of hire.

Protect Your Eyes All Year Round

It’s important to protect your eyes not just during the summer months but all year round. Medical studies have increasingly tied chronic exposure to UV and near-UV rays to ocular diseases. Although the sun may be the strongest during the summer months (particularly between the hours of 10am and 4pm) reflective surfaces, such as concrete, ice and snow can also contribute to UV damage.

The experts at Davis Vision recommend a quality pair of prescription or non-prescription sunglasses that:

• Block 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays
• Block blue light rays
• Contain large lenses that fit close to your eyes

Davis Vision (of Long Island) and Empire Vision Centers (of Upstate New York) will be renovated and rebranded under the name Visionworks at the end of this year. Visionworks remains the largest owned and operated optical company in the U.S., offering over 2,000 frames at each store location. More to come.

The Retirement Team is Here for You

The Investment Committee has got your back. Retirement planning should be a two way street, you invest your money and we help to invest it wisely. In addition to researching the best funds available for your Plans, the Retirement Team at North Shore-LIJ is here to help you plan for a secure future. In collaboration with the experts at MetLife, the health system offers the Retirewise Program, an informative retirement planning program with a classroom approach, educating employees about the options and opportunities they have through North Shore-LIJ. For more information and opportunities to save for your future, email: Retirement@nshs.edu. If you want a clear definition about the funds offered through MetLife, read more.

No Action Required

The Investment Committee at North Shore-LIJ is looking out for you. Researching, with your financial security top of mind, the Committee consistently looks for new ways to make your money work harder for you.

Beginning May 31, 2013 there are two fund changes:

First, Cohen & Steers Institutional Global Realty Fund will be replaced by Security Capital Fund. Security Capital Fund in combination with Morgan Stanley Institutional Global Real Estate I Fund, will now comprise the plan’s Global REIT option.

Second, RS International Growth Fund will be replaced by Dreyfus International Equity Fund. Dreyfus International Equity Fund in combination with Causeway International Value Institutional Fund, will now comprise the plan’s International Equity option.

Nothing for You to Do!
If you have a balance in the funds exchanged, your account and future contribution will be automatically transferred to the new investment options as on May 31. You will receive a confirmation in the mail or you can visit MetLife online after May 31. Do not hesitate to reach out to a MetLife representative - consultations are free. For a complete statement visit HealthPort.

Annual Notice for Cash Balance Plan

With more than 40% of our benefits-eligible employees classified as “Baby Boomers” it is important to understand the options for retirement planning. The health system provides a generous Retirement Program consisting of two parts – the Cash Balance and the 403(b) Plans. Along with a smart lifestyle consisting of managing your debt and researching Medicare’s change of coverage in 2014, you might be more ready than you think (or not)!

Each year the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) requires that all pension plan participants receive an Annual Notice that describes the funded status of their plan. The health system’s Cash Balance Plan’s funded liability percentage in 2012 is 100.85%, and the Huntington Hospital Pension Plan’s is 95.55%.  Those are great numbers! The higher the percentage, the better funded the plan is to cover for current and future costs.

Get your retirement numbers up there by keeping informed and making smart decisions. Don’t rely on Social Security to get you through your golden years! If you have questions about the Retirement Plan at North Shore-LIJ, call the HR Service Center at 516-734-7000.

Coming Soon!

Be on the lookout for the spring issue of Transforming Your Care magazine, the HR publication dedicated to the health and wellness of North Shore-LIJ team members. This issue covers a wide variety of topics including an update on your benefits, a section on “Transforming Your Career” at North Shore-LIJ and some tips on how to start saving for your retirement NOW.

Pay attention baby boomers. Save now for later! North Shore-LIJ provides eligible employees a generous Retirement Program to help save for the future. The program consists of two parts— the Cash Balance Plan and the 403(b) or 401(k) Plan, with an employer match. For details, visit the benefits section on HealthPort or call the HR Service Center at 516-734-7000 for guidance. For more on saving for the future, see page 13 in the upcoming issue of TYC!

Annual Rate Change 403(b) and 401(k)

If you have allocated funds in your 403(b) or 401(k) Retirement Savings Account in the stable value account, also known as FISA, the interest rate has changed as of April 1, 2013. The rates for these funds change every year. As of April 1 the interest rate is 3% for 403(b) accounts and 3.5% for 401(k) accounts.

In case you were wondering the 403(b) plan applies to those in the health system who work for not-for-profit entities (which is the majority) and the 401(k) plan applies to those who work for our profit entities.

Check out to see if you are investing wisely for your retirement, contact a MetLife representative today by calling 800-543-2520 or visit mlr.metlife.com.

Mobile App Upgrade!

Express Scripts is now with you wherever you go! The upgraded app is good for prescription refills and renewals, safety alerts, reminders, and potential savings! The app helps you stay on track with taking your medications as prescribed. It is accessible to anyone with an iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry smartphone. To get the FREE app
• Go to your smartphone’s app store, search for Express Scripts
• Visit ExpressScripts.com to get your ExpressScripts.com user ID and password
• Log in to get the most from your prescription drug benefit

It’s that simple!

Money in the Bank!

If you are a non union employee, who has elected for Supplemental Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage you will see a few extra dollars in your next paycheck.  Effective March 1 rates for this coverage have decreased by 19%. That means a cost savings to you each pay period!  

Why not consider setting up a direct deposit account with payroll? Did you know employees can have money directly deposited from their paycheck into a savings account? The health system makes it easy for you to save, by offering up to three free direct deposit accounts for pay through Employee Self Service (or through a form on HealthPort for those who are not yet able to access ESS).

Now that’s money in the bank!

2013 Social Security Tax Increase

As you may have already heard, part of the tax changes taking effect for 2013 include an increase to the Social Security tax (Fed OASDI/EE as it is stated on your North Shore-LIJ pay statement.) 

In 2012, the Social Security tax had been lowered to 4.2% based on a payroll tax cut that expired Dec. 31, 2012, and it was determined by the government to not be extended further.

Social Security will now be taxed at 6.2% on annual earnings for salaries up to $113,700. 

How does this impact me?

To determine how you are personally taxed, simply take your annual pay and multiply it by 6.2%.  For example:  an employee making $35,000 annually would multiply 35,000 × .062 for a total of $2,170 in 2013.  The previous tax would be 35,000 × .042, for a total of $1,470.

Calculate your Social Security tax:  (salary × .062) = the amount withdrawn in 2013

Salary	Amount Withdrawn in 2013	Amount Withdrawn in 2012
$35,000	$2,170	$1,470
$50,000	$3,100	$2,100
$65,000	$4,030	$2,730
$90,000	$5,580	$3,780
$113,700 (maximum)	$7,049	$4,775